STRENGTH TRAINING

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Complete Strength Workout Program Cardio Intervals

Anyone doing the Complete Strength Workout Program, courtesy of Billy Polson, knows that they are responsible for two days per week of cardio intervals. But what does that mean?

You will need to plan, on two days of each week, to put together an interval cardio workout. This seems easy, because you are only asked to do 20 - 30 minutes for each workout. But in fact, 20 - 30 minutes can be quite taxing if set up as in this workout.

Your job in this cardio phase of your workout is to vigorously exercise for 20 - 30 straight minutes using an interval format. That means, one minute of high-intensity work followed by a two-minute recovery, to stick with a 1:2 ratio. And you need to maintain that pattern for the entire duration of your cardio workout. Pretty tough. But—you can achieve this ratio however you'd like, meaning that you should take a broad view of sport. From running to cycling to vigorous uphill hiking, there are many, many ways to achieve interval training. Take the times and intensities and map them onto a variety of physical activities that interest you. See what you get!

Beyond your cardio training, you should also be thinking about other practices that might contribute to your physical well-being—like meditating, escaping stress, forgetting work and enjoying the movement itself. Put some thought into choosing cardio that fulfills these needs, and don't feel like you have to strap yourself into a piece of equipment or even get inside a gym in order to do your cardio.